And yet Charlie Barnet was only significant in jazz for about a decade (1939-1949). Although his family wanted him to be a lawyer, he was a professional musician by the time he was 16 and ironically in his career made more money than he would have in business. Barnet arrived in New York in 1932 and started leading bands on records the following year, but his career was quite erratic until 1939. Many of Barnet's early records are worthy but some are quite commercial as he attempted to find a niche. Best is a sideman appearance on a 1934 Red Norvo date that also includes Artie Shaw and Teddy Wilson.
In 1939, with the hit recording of "Cherokee" and a very successful run at the Famous Door in New York, Charlie Barnet soon became a household name. In addition to the fine trumpeter Bobby Burnet (who soloed on many of Barnet's Bluebird records), such sidemen as guitarist Bus Etri; drummer Cliff Leeman; singers Lena Horne, Francis Wayne, and Kay Starr; pianist Dodo Marmarosa; clarinetist Buddy DeFranco; guitarist Barney Kessel; and even trumpeter Roy Eldridge spent time with Barnet's bands. Although at the height of his popularity during 1939-1942 (when his orchestra could often play a close imitation of Ellington's), Barnet's recordings for Decca during 1942-1946 were also of great interest with "Skyliner" being a best-seller.
By 1947 Barnet was starting to look toward bop. Clark Terry was his star trumpeter that year, and in 1949 his screaming trumpet section included Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, Rolf Ericson, and Ray Wetzel. Barnet, however, soon lost interest and near the end of 1949 he broke up his band. Semi-retired throughout the remainder of his life, Charlie Barnet occasionally led swing-oriented big bands during short tours and appearances, making his last recording in 1966.
When Did You Leave Heaven
Charlie Barnet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I'd ever meet one And such a sweet one
Till I met you
When did you leave heaven? How could they let you go?
How's ev'ry thing in Heaven? I'd like to know
Why did you trade Heaven for all these earthly things
Where di you hide your Halo?
Where did you lose your wings?
Have they missed you?
Can you get back in?
If Ikissed you would it be a sin?
I amonly human but you are so divine
When did you leave Heave, angel mine?
When did you leave heaven? How could they let you go?
How's ev'ry thing in Heaven? I'd like to know
Why did you trade Heaven for all these earthly things
Where di you hide your Halo?
Where did you lose your wings?
Have they missed you?
Can you get back in?
If Ikissed you would it be a sin?
I amonly human but you are so divine
When did you leave Heave, angel mine?
These lyrics to Charlie Barnet's song "When Did You Leave Heaven?" describe the singer's astonishment and wonderment upon meeting an extraordinary person who seems to embody angelic qualities. The singer expresses that they had only ever dreamed of angels but never expected to actually encounter one, and they are captivated by the sweet and divine nature of this person.
The chorus of the song poses a series of questions to this celestial being, pondering the circumstances of their departure from heaven and inquiring about life in the heavenly realm. The singer wonders why this heavenly being would leave the perfection of heaven to experience earthly existence and asks where they hid their halo and lost their wings. There is a sense of longing and curiosity in these questions, as the singer wonders if this angel can ever return to their celestial abode.
The lyrics also convey the singer's admiration and attraction to this heavenly being. They acknowledge their own human limitations but perceive the angel as something divine and extraordinary. The singer contemplates the possibility of kissing the angel and questions if it would be considered a sin, further emphasizing the forbidden and enchanting nature of their connection.
Overall, the lyrics of "When Did You Leave Heaven?" explore themes of love, fascination, and the juxtaposition of the earthly and divine realms.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to dream about angels
In the past, I would fantasize about celestial beings
But then I never knew
Yet, I never anticipated
That I'd ever meet one
That I would actually encounter an angel
And such a sweet one
Moreover, one that possesses such kindness and warmth
Till I met you
Until the day I crossed paths with you
When did you leave heaven?
At what point did you depart from paradise?
How could they let you go?
How did the heavenly realm allow your departure?
How's ev'ry thing in Heaven?
How are all the affairs in the celestial realm?
I'd like to know
I am genuinely curious to learn about it
Why did you trade Heaven for all these earthly things
What compelled you to exchange divine existence for the mundane world?
Where did you hide your Halo?
Where did you conceal your halo, the symbol of your angelic nature?
Where did you lose your wings?
In what place did you misplace your wings, the emblem of your heavenly state?
Have they missed you?
Do the celestial beings yearn for your return?
Can you get back in?
Are you able to reenter the realm of paradise?
If I kissed you would it be a sin?
If I were to embrace you with a kiss, would it be considered immoral?
I am only human
I acknowledge my mortal nature
But you are so divine
While you, on the other hand, possess a transcendent nature
When did you leave Heave, angel mine?
At what moment did you depart from paradise, my dear angel?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD A. WHITING, WALTER BULLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fannyfayvintage7668
Love the lyrics. "How could they let you go?" "Where did you hide your halo? Where did you lose your wings?" "If I kissed you, would it be a sin?" Just so sweet.
@Trombonology
Despite some generally decent personnel, the early Barnet sides were a far cry from the glorious jazz-infused records that began appearing in '39. I must assume that the clarinet choir here is intended to evoke the celestial haven of the title. It must have felt very liberating for Charlie, a great Ellington and Basie admirer, finally to have the opportunity to play the kind of music he wanted to play.
@swingman5635
Ahh,that must have been the reason that my uncle's second favorite band behind the Duke's was Charlie's. Funny,I didn't make the connection.
@Trombonology
@Swingman 56 Oh, yeah ... Charlie drew his greatest inspiration, it seems, from Duke's music. ... You uncle had great taste.
@Kaymarie498
Delightful!
@CPorter
I've know that the Barnet band goes back until at least 1934 over record, but I haven't heard anything prior to 1939. Who could've known that this same leader would later hold the title of the "blackest white-band" just a few years later. Sounds a lot closer to Joe Hayme's ARC stuff.
@TWELS20
Here's a link to Charlie's first record from 1933: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WlxgTJR7o I had this on a Sunbeam LP that I bought in the 1980s; he used a vocalist not usually known for his vocals! The musical sounds you hear on this recording is far cry from what the Barnet Band of 1939-41 produced.